Apparatus for mixing concrete and the like



p 21, 193 c. E. BALL v 2 131,682

APPARATUS FOR MIXING CONCRETE AND THE LIKE Filed Dec. 1. 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet l I Z0 "3y i l W awe/Mom av v Charles E BalZ,

Sept. 27, 1938.

C. F. BALL APPARATUS FOR MIXING CONCRETE AND THE LIKE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec.

Patented Sept. 27, 1938 PA ENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR MIXING CONCRETE AND THE LIKE Charles F. Ball, Wauwatosa, Wis, assignor to Chain Belt Company, poration of Wisconsin 1 Application December 1,

Milwaukee, Wis, a coreae; Serial No. 113,691

I The invention relates to apparatus for mixing or agitating concrete and the like, and more particularly to a modified form of closure operating mechanism for the multiple compartment mixing receptacles of the type described and claimed in my prior co-pending application filed September 9, 1936, Serial No. 100,008. It has for its principal object the provision of operating mechanism for thetransfer door of such receptacles, which will in no wise interfere with the passage of the concrete making materials through the charging chute into the preliminary mixing compartment, whereby such charging will be facilitated.

With the above and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in'the novel-details 'of construction, and combinations and arrangements of parts, more fully hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings forming apart-of this specification in which like reference characters designate like parts in all the views:

Figure l is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of a multiple compartment mixing receptacle of the type disclosed in my said prior application, equipped with transfer-do'or operating mechanism constructed and arranged in accordance with my present invention;

Fig. 2 is an end elevational View of the parts shown in Fig. 1, as seen from the left of said figure; and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged horizontal sectional-plan view, taken approximately on the plane indicated by the line 33 of Fig. 1, looking down.

As in my said prior application, the multiple compartment mixing receptacle may comprise a tubular shell 10, the open ends of which are closed by the heads II and I2, provided respectively with the charging and discharging openings l3 and M, the former of which has associated with it a charging hopper or chute l5 for receiving and passing the concrete making materials into the drum, while the latter may have associated with it any suitable form of discharge chute or mechanism, not shown. The shell is also provided with an intermediate transverse partition 16, dividing its interior into primary and secondary mixing compartments I1 and I8, and communication between which is afforded by a transfer opening IS in the said partition [6, which opening is preferably surround- 'ed by an angle member 20,v serving not only to reinforce the partition wall but also as a seat 7 bers 44 and 45.

for the transfer controllingdoor or closure 2|. The primary mixing chamber I1 is provided with 'a-coniform deflecting member 22 extending from the shell 10 to the opening l9, and said chamber is further provided with a plurality of mixing or agitating blades 23 and transfer blades or troughs 24, only some of each of which are here illustrated. The compartment 18 is in like manner providedwith mixing blades 25 and pick-up or discharge buckets 26, only some of which also are illustrated. The drum is provided with the usual tracks 2l,'and sprocket or other equivalent power transmitting element 28 by means of which it may be driven.

The transfer door 2| isconnected by a flexible 7 connection 30 to one end of its operating shaft '31} which extends axially of the chamber l1 and is'splined in a support 32 rigidly mounted within'tlie chamber as upon the transfer troughs 24. The shaft 31, instead-of extending through the charging hopper l as'in my. said prior application, terminates 'short of the charging opening 3,'and has journalled upon its end atransversely extending yoke 33, to the outer ends of which are rigidly secured the horizontally extending arms 34 which project through the charging opening l3 outside of the hopper I5. The outer ends of the said arms 34 are pivotally connected as at 35 to rock arms 36 carried by a rock shaft 7 V 31, which may be actuated from an automatic power operated control mechanism 38 through a pitman 39 embodying an overload relief construction, and a lever 40, as in said prior application.

As best shown in Fig. 3, the yoke 33 is provided with a hub 4|, which receives the end of shaft 3|. A pair of anti-friction bearings 42 and 43 are mounted upon the said shaft end and maintained in spaced relation by the spacing mem- The bearing 42 abuts against a shoulder 46 within the hub, While the inner end of a threaded cap 41 bears against the hearing 43. The shaft and bearings are thus restrained against longitudinal movement within the hub, so that reciprocations of the yoke, imparted to it by the arms 34 and 36, will be positively transmitted to the shaft 3|, whereby the transfer door 2! may be opened and closed, the said shaft being at the same time free to rotate with the door. A suitable seal 48 may be provided within cap 41 to prevent the abrasive concrete mixture from working its way into the bearings 42 and 43.

It will be readily apparent from the foregoing that the present invention provides a construction whereby the transfer door may be positively actuated as in my prior application Serial No. 100,008, while because of the yoke and spaced arm arrangement, charging of the concrete materials into the mixing drum may take place without interference such as might be caused by the door operating shaft passing through the charging chute or hopper.

It is obvious that those skilled in the art may vary the details of construction as well as the precise arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention, and therefore it is not wished to be limited to the above disclosure except as may be required by the claims.

What is claimed is:--

1. In apparatus for mixing concrete and. the

like, a rotatable receptacle having oppositely disposed charging and discharging openings; a fixed charging chute extending through said charging opening and having its side walls spaced from the walls of said opening; a reciprocable closure for said discharging opening; a shaft for moving said closure, mounted within said receptacle for rotation therewith and for reciprocating movements relative thereto; means for reciprocating said shaft including a member having elements extending from within to without said receptacle through the space between the side walls of the chute and the walls of the opening; and a connection between said member and shaft arranged to impart reciprocating movements to said shaft while permitting of relative rotation thereof.

2. In apparatus for mixing concrete and the like, a rotatable receptacle having oppositely disposed openings for ingress and egress of the material; means for directing material through one of said openings; a movable closure for the other of said openings; a shaft in said receptacle mounted for rotation therewith and for axial movements relative thereto, said shaft being connected at one end to said closure and at its other end terminating short of said material directclosure for said egress opening;

ing means; a yoke within said receptacle journalling the last named end of said shaft and arranged to impart said axial movements to the latter, said yoke having arms extending exteriorly of said material directing means to the outside of said receptacle; and means for reciprocating said arms. I

3. In apparatus for mixing concrete and the like, a rotatable receptacle having oppositely disposed openings for ingress and egress of the material; a fixed chute for feeding material through said ingress opening; a reciprocable closure for said egress opening; a shaft for moving said closure, mounted within said receptacle for rotation therewith and for reciprocating movements relative thereto, said shaft terminating short of said ingress opening; a yoke having a hub receiving the end of said shaft; antifriction bearings between said shaft and hub; spaced arms rigid with said yoke, extending through said ingress opening to either side of said chute; and means for reciprocating said arms.

4. In apparatus for mixing concrete and the like, a rotatable receptacle having oppositely disposed openings for ingress and egress of the material; a fixed chute for feeding material through said ingress opening; a reciprocable a shaft for moving said closure, mounted within said receptacle for rotation therewith and for reciprocating movements relative thereto, said shaft terminating short of said ingress opening; a nonrotatable yoke having a hub receiving the end of said shaft; anti-friction bearings between saidshaft and hub; means for preventing axial movements of said shaft relative to said hub; spaced arms rigid with said yoke, extending through said ingress opening to either side of said chute; and means for reciprocating said arms.

CHARLES F. BALL. 

